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Some time ago, a married couple with young children reached out and asked if they could come and meet with me. Although I didn’t recognize their names, and they weren’t in our parish database system, I was happy to make some time to sit down and talk with them.The conversation started quickly, as the husband and wife wanted to tell me their story and what brought them to my office. Long story short, they were relatively new to the area, had moved here because of work, and had been visiting the l …

Throughout my priestly ministry, I have always heavily preached the importance of frequent confession. In my homiletics, I stress the spiritual goods of the sacrament and their effects on our souls. Regrettably, many of the faithful dismiss the invitation and settle for the oftentimes tragic minimum of once a year. Every once in a while, however, someone will be stirred by the Holy Spirit and will start going to regular confession.On one such occasion, a middle-aged woman (not from my current pa …

CHALLENGE: Matthew and Luke contradict each other. Matthew says that the field of blood got its name because it was bought with blood money (Matt. 27:6-7), but Luke says it was called this because people knew Judas died a gruesome death there (Acts 1:18-19).DEFENSE: Names can have more than one significance, and the two explanations are compatible.The fact that Matthew and Luke record different expressions of the tradition regarding Judas’s fate indicate that both were in circulation.Some people …

Several years ago, there was a death, and a family wished to meet and talk with the priest who would be celebrating the funeral Mass. I was helping at the parish, and the pastor asked if I could take the funeral and assist with the pastoral needs of the grieving family. I was happy to assist and looked forward to seeing how I could help.When the time came, the family and I sat down and began to discuss their loved one’s life and accomplishments. I took a few notes. Then we moved into the selecti …

The fullest unhinged example of religion as a commodity is the rather fashionable, modern teaching known as the Prosperity Gospel, as well as the megachurch phenomenon that it seems to create. Although a predominantly Protestant expression, such a view of life has found its way into the hearts and parishes of Catholics.The Prosperity Gospel exaggerates the temporal blessings of “health and wealth” and gives bloated versions of biblical promises to its adherents. The basic idea is that God wants …